The Truth Without All The Facts

The main problem with A doom Reader Prophets, Predictors, and Hucksters of Salvation, edited by Ted Daniels, is that this work is intended as a guidebook or synopsis of sorts for a proof requireer concerned with prophecy and Christian salvation. How invariably, Daniels consigns his work to the modest status of the lofty dissertation, or much accurately, an extensive annotated bibliography for a name paper, of this contentious subject by his choice of style and configuration.This main hindrance, which appears to actu altogethery have been purposeful, receives from the format for which Daniels use ups to present information to his reader and openly excludes all contradictory statements to further support or refute his assembled facts.To begin with, Daniels constructs Doomsday as a three-parter, with Part One highlighting the religious and semi semipolitical philosophies behind lay enlightenment, Part Two illustrating the satanic lurking within those political and religious realms, and Part Three relating the tragic results, all well-known and debat adapted events, and how chaos originated by the all-consuming, indicatory travail known as the Revelation.In the Introduction, Daniels spends a few discerning pages explaining his definition, literally and figuratively, for the critical terms a reader might come across when researching Christian prophecy and Revelation. Then, after a short explanation of his theory that apocalypticismis inherently political and that a reader might come to understand it better by taking that aspect of it fully into taradiddle (Daniels 15), the book begins with his collection of essays and carefully constructed footnotes on his topics.However, Daniels theory is more or less left behind as the reader becomes disoriented by the essays and assembled information. His thesis, which he shrewdly never states in its entirety has a perfect problem that he attempts to ignore by presenting his information as arrant(a) fact, with nothing to dispute, deny, or, for that matter, confirm. And, because he purposes no further insight into his claim, it can barely be authorized as is, as fact, and while his chapters do succeed a focus on his theory, they do nothing to prove boththing early(a)(a) than to illustrate that he is more than adept in compiling facts to compositors case his purpose.For example, in Part One, Daniels highlights two main examples of requireers, Karl Marx and Adolf Hitler, who politically en squeeze their ideals for secular millenarianism, or, as Daniels has chosen to refer to it, the apocalyptic movement. Daniels uses Marxism to show how like in the first place apocalyptic ideologiesthe interaction of opposing forcesin this case, labor and capitaldrives events in the world (56).It is a deceitful method acting of relating the fair play, because apocalyptic ideologies, which he defines in his Introduction as a struggle between the forces of good and evil (4) focus on spirituality and redemption, not jobs and money, tho he is cagy not to mention this again because Marxism would then have nothing to do with his point at this moment. Now, the facts cannot be denied that Hitler was indeed a bad man, but in truth, his position was one of purification, of ridding the world of the tainted race, the ape-men (65) and was not nigh religious enlightenment.Daniels gets around this fact by offering that Hitlers computer programme combined two link elements common to many apocalyptic movements strike back and purity (70). With that said, a reader can be led to believe, because of Daniels previous(prenominal) definition for apocalypse as basically anything or any movement that has the potential to destroy the world, that Hitler could be rattling much an averted anti-Christ. With no other testimony or evidence contrary to this, a reader is forced to accept Daniels claim as fact.Now, the biggest problem with his thesis comes from his claim that the apocalyptic nature in herent in all people is caused or, more succinctly, manufactured, by politics. By saying this, Daniels is expunging the reality and responsibility from people who wittingly commit suicide thinking that their salvation is at hand if they choose to follow the best salesman. To follow, dumbly and blindly without question because someone believes fame comes with a sacrifice like suicide (which is ironically the greatest of all sins, according to Christian religion) is not something that can be placed in the broad category of political maneuvering.It can be orchestrated by a political mastermind, yes but that political mastermind is also in truth nearly as blind and dumb as the herd of sheep they lead to slaughter because they too believe, without question, that their own redemption or whatever freedom they are seeking comes from controlling the lives of others, and how well they manage at the task. time this can be defined as apocalyptic nature, because it is utterly destructive, it is not inherently politicalit is inherently human.But to say that the apocalypse and the movement that go out one day revolutionize the world is inherently human is mayhap too extreme for a book of this sort to delve into. Daniels is about certainly aware of the controversial nature of his subject and understands, too, how people read and react to this subject when taken as a whole. If he cogitate on the problem and the ultimate destruction of the world as originating from cosmos human, a large segment of his audience would close the book in disgust because they are, instinctively, because of the nature of the topic, seeking answers.And, with an efficiency to be admired, Daniels is cleverly able to grant those answerseven if it means skipping a measure of the truth. But, with any flop argument or frankly, any decent production of information, the fact and the assembly of the accumulated information need to be presented side by side so that the fact, if it truly is fact, wil l stand on its own because, by its nature, fact has more power and authority than any fabrication ever will. With this method, information can be highlighted and validated at the same time.While this may work in the Encyclopedia Britannica, Daniels, is not an authorized authority on the subject and therefore requires room in his work, or at the very least, acknowledgement, for such interpretation. Otherwise, the reader is being led into the exact trap that Daniels expresses is prudent for sending cults off to commit suicide for a holy comet in Part Three. In this way, Daniels actually forbids a reader to consider their options, and instead, ironically commits the very same sin that he compiled Doomsday Reader to plead about herding the people with cunningly used portions of fact.And, with his choice of format, Daniels also neatly removes himself from any sort of literary or spiritual criticism because he assigns himself as the editor of this work, and does not hold the mantle of t he author. Moreover, as is his way, both chapter ends with a Notes section in which all sources and facts gleaned from weblogs, news, and the Bible are stick on in the standard APA citation style. While this is not unusual in a reference book of this sort, it becomes a bit disconcerting when both chapter ends with two pages of sources to review.At that point, a reader is left to wonder how much, if any, of the information came from Daniels. Or, more importantly, why he chose the facts he did to illustrate whatever version of the truth he hopes to prove. But with a topic this controversial and completely aroused and sacred for a great deal of the religious community, fact inescapably to be presented with disconcerting arguments as well, or at least offer in his extensive Works Cited, since he took the time to make it happen, authors or websites that offer some form of skepticism.In this manner, Daniels is able to present all of the related information on this subject without eve r being forced to take for his position or specify an exact opinion. But, more importantly, Daniels never offers any information to refute his truths either, so for that reason alone, Daniels is removing himself and his information from interpretation because the method he uses presents everything as fact. His sources, as they are quoted, are to be accepted and believed as fact, no questions asked, no tokens granted.Overall, while Daniels attempted to compile a compendium of information for the reader interested in prophecy or the Revelation, his theories and ideas are hardly presented at all, unless a reader gives the same load to the slightly audacious Introduction, which offers his brief, indeterminate premise for creating and organizing his work. And, by choosing so particular a format for assembling his work, his information can be taken no other way, especially because every chapter, and very nearly every paragraph, ends with a footnote, and not an opinion.It is his chosen format that lends to an attitude of distrust from a reader because Daniels cannot be taken fully and with complete authority on such a controversial theme. If anything, Doomsday Reader serves more as a tidy and eloquent annotated bibliography for a term paper than as the foremost guidebook for understanding prophecy and the terms required by the Bible for Christian salvation. Works Cited. Daniels, Ted, Ed. A Doomsday Reader Prophets, Predictors, and Hucksters of Salvation. impudent York New York UP, 1999.